Kim Wong lawyer cries harassment by ‘NBI agents’

KIM WONG. INQUIRER PHOTO

People representing themselves as National Bureau of Investigation agents are “harassing” Kim Wong, a lawyer for the casino junket operator said Wednesday.

Lawyer Inocencio Ferrer said a certain Senior Agent Ruel J. Dugayon and a team composed of more than 20 armed “agents” purportedly from the NBI’s National Capital Region division had been “doing the rounds” of Wong’s offices and known residences and presenting what appeared to be an “irregular” search warrant issued by a Malabon City judge.

“The search warrant was issued supposedly for alleged violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. The agents are looking for a certain ‘Wen Liu and/or other occupants’ of each office or residential address but are showing printed photos of Kim Wong,” Ferrer said.

‘Harassment’

The search warrant also authorizes the supposed agents to seize or confiscate telephones, computers and peripherals, cash, ATM cards, documents and bank transaction records “anytime of the day and night of the week,” he said.

“This clearly constitutes harassment and subverts the current investigation by the Senate blue ribbon committee. My client already promised to present himself as a resource person on March 29 but with these kinds of harassment, it seems there are forces who want to prevent him from testifying,” he said.

Another lawyer for Wong on Tuesday night questioned the decision of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file criminal charges against Wong just days before the Chinese-Filipino businessman’s appearance before the Senate blue ribbon committee.

The AMLC on Tuesday sought criminal charges against Wong and Chinese businessman Xu Weikang, alleging that the two were behind the laundering through the Philippine financial system of $81 million stolen by computer hackers from the Bangladesh central bank’s account in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last month.

‘Suspicious’ timing

Lawyer Victor Fernandez described the timing of the filing of the AMLC’s complaint as “suspicious,” adding that some powerful people may be trying to prevent Wong from revealing what he knows.

“It is our impression that some very powerful people are afraid of what our client will disclose that’s why a premature case was filed against him by the AMLC,” Fernandez said.

“They probably think that filing the case will deter our client from coming home and testifying before the Senate. They are wrong,” he said.

Wong returned to Manila on Sunday, after traveling to Singapore for medical treatment.

The AMLC also asked the DOJ to file criminal charges against Maia Santos-Deguito,  manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch on Jupiter Street, Makati City, a few days before she was to testify at the Senate probe.

The AMLC move prompted Deguito to invoke her right against self-incrimination during the first hearing called by the blue ribbon committee in the investigation of the laundering of the stolen Bangladeshi  money through the Philippines.

Deguito insisted on a closed session, saying the information she had was part of her legal defense.

Fernandez said he was surprised that a criminal complaint was filed against Wong based solely on Deguito’s statement to the blue ribbon committee.

“The investigation is still ongoing yet the AMLC used the transcript of stenographic notes as their only basis for the complaint,” he said. “Why is the AMLC in such a hurry?”

Fernandez said Wong was “ready and willing to testify before the Senate.”

He promised that Wong—who authorities believe is a key figure in the laundering of the stolen Bangladeshi money—will “tell all” when he appears before the blue ribbon committee next Tuesday.